10:00 AM: Everything is bigger in Texas, including the MLB All-Star Game, which gets underway in just a few hours from Globe Life Field. It’ll be Pirates rookie sensation Paul Skenes taking the ball for the National League in his Midsummer Classic debut with Orioles ace Corbin Burnes toeing the rubber for the American League in his fourth consecutive All-Star appearance. We’ll be here for the duration of the contest, from first pitch to the final out, with live updates bringing you the highlights and fantasy-relevant insights from the Midsummer Classic.
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To help set the stage, here are the full starting lineups:
2024 National League All-Stars starting lineup
1) Ketel Marte, 2B, Diamondbacks
2) Shohei Ohtani, DH, Dodgers
3) Trea Turner, SS, Phillies
4) Bryce Harper, 1B, Phillies
5) William Contreras, C, Brewers
6) Christian Yelich, RF, Brewers
7) Alec Bohm, 3B, Phillies
8) Teoscar Hernández, CF, Dodgers
9) Jurickson Profar, LF, Padres
Starting pitcher: Paul Skenes, Pirates
2024 American League All-Stars starting lineup
1) Steven Kwan, LF, Guardians
2) Gunnar Henderson, SS, Orioles
3) Juan Soto, RF, Yankees
4) Aaron Judge, CF, Yankees
5) Yordan Alvarez, DH, Astros
6) José Ramírez, 3B, Guardians
7) Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B, Blue Jays
8) Adley Rutschman, C, Orioles
9) Marcus Semien, 2B, Rangers
Starting pitcher: Corbin Burnes, Orioles
6:15 PM: Here’s the first interesting pregame wrinkle of the evening as it appears Freddie Freeman’s glove never made the trip to Arlington.
Freddie Freeman was digging through his locker right now when he realized something
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) July 16, 2024
His first baseman’s glove isn’t here. It got packed in his bag going back to LA this week instead
He and Bryce Harper might be sharing mitts tonight
8:08 PM: We’re just moments away from first pitch in the 94th MLB All-Star Game. Hope you’ve all got your popcorn ready. We’ll be here all night going through the biggest highlights and interesting storylines. Let’s do this.
8:20 PM: We’re off and running with Orioles ace Corbin Burnes toeing the rubber for the top of the first inning in his first All-Star Game start. It’s pretty interesting to watch him answering questions from Ken Rosenthal right before first pitch, have to imagine this is the biggest moment of his career so far on the national stage. The biggest question for fantasy managers is whether the strikeouts will bounce back in the second half? The 29-year-old fantasy ace has displayed pinpoint control in his Baltimore debut, but has a career-worst 23.3 percent strikeout rate coming into the Midsummer Classic.
8:22 PM: Burnes gets Ketel Marte to ground out on a nice play from Vladimir Guerrero Jr to open the frame. Now it’s Shohei Ohtani time.
8:24 PM: Dodgers two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani works a one-out walk on a borderline 3-2 offering before Burnes bounces back to coax a harmless fly out from Trea Turner. Two down in the opening frame.
This view of Bryce Harper's oppo double 🤩 #AllStarGame x #UmpCam pic.twitter.com/nswY5OrNJH
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 17, 2024
8:25 PM: Bryce Harper slices a double into the left-field corner on a two-strike offering from Burnes with Ohtani halting at third base. It’ll be William Contreras coming up with a pair of runners in scoring position, chance to do some damage here.
8:28 PM: Burnes gets out of the opening frame on 19 pitches (11 strikes) by inducing a harmless ground out from Contreras on a full-count offering. The walk to Ohtani and double from Harper wind up being harmless. It’s now Paul Skenes time.
Paul Skenes takes the mound pic.twitter.com/VjQkwxyABF
— Andrew Destin (@AndrewDestin1) July 17, 2024
8:33 PM: Two months ago, Paul Skenes was in the minor leagues. The hard-throwing 22-year-old fireballer, who fired seven hitless innings with 11 strikeouts in his final outing prior to the All-Star break, has pitched in some pretty big moments in his baseball career, but this is arguably the biggest to date. You know about the triple-digit fastball velocity, the signature splinker and the lofty strikeout totals. Really the only question left for fantasy purposes is whether he can sustain this over the course of a few years.
8:37 PM: The youngest All-Star starter since Dwight Gooden back in 1986, Skenes gets Steven Kwan to fly out, and Gunnar Henderson to ground out before getting an ugly swing from Juan Soto to kick-off his at-bat. Soto does a nice job refusing to chase a couple out of the zone before whiffing on a curveball below the zone. Skenes ends up missing on a pair of 100-mph fastballs to hand Soto a free pass before getting Aaron Judge to ground out on the first pitch. Skenes showed up as advertised with a dominant opening frame. Super impressive stuff. We’re going to remember this one if his career continues on its current trajectory.
Paul Skenes finishes his #AllStarGame inning and Livvy Dunne is loving it! pic.twitter.com/JDF1neLtjD
— MLB (@MLB) July 17, 2024
8:39 PM: It’ll be Tarik Skubal coming on to work the second inning for the American League. There was a push for Skubal to start this one and he could wind up being the biggest name on the move at the upcoming trade deadline. There are sure to be plenty of suitors, but Detroit’s asking price will be astronomical.
8:44 PM: Skubal looked really comfortable out there, even joking with Alec Bohm at one point during a scoreless frame. He gets Christian Yelich to ground out, Alec Bohm to fly out to deep right-center field and induced an inning-ending pop up from Home Run Derby champion Teoscar Hernández. It’ll be Max Fried coming on for the home half of the second inning.
8:45 PM: Here’s that splinker from Skenes to Soto in the prior inning. Nasty.
The Skenes Splinker. pic.twitter.com/8WQvnWbIHw
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 17, 2024
8:50 PM: Fried manages to work around a leadoff walk to Yordan Alvarez, thanks in large part to a phenomenal diving play from a mic’d up Trea Turner to rob Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of a surefire single up the middle, to post a zero.
Trea Turner makes the diving play and the mic'd up @Phillies infielders are loving it! #AllStarGame pic.twitter.com/TpmyibzsJ2
— MLB (@MLB) July 17, 2024
8:55 PM: The matchup between two of the biggest fantasy storylines in Jurickson Profar and Tanner Houck to open the third inning goes to the hitter with Profar smacking a line-drive into the right-field corner. The former top prospect’s long-awaited breakthrough, which includes a .305 average and 14 homers through 97 games, is further proof that you can never totally give up on an elite talent.
SHOHEI OHTANI #ALLSTARGAME HOMER! pic.twitter.com/Q8QF8nuEbu
— MLB (@MLB) July 17, 2024
8:56 PM: Shohei Ohtani connects for a gargantuan 400-foot no-doubter to right field off Red Sox ace Tanner Houck to put the National League ahead 3-0. Zero doubt on this one. Certainly puts him in the driver’s seat for All-Star Game MVP honors.
9:05 PM: Giants ace Logan Webb steps up to the stage with a three-run lead and immediately gives up a leadoff single to Marcus Semien and a walk to Steven Kwan. He manages to get Gunnar Henderson to ground out before serving up a two-run double to Juan Soto. 3-2.
Juan Soto drives in 2 runs for the AL squad! #AllStarGame pic.twitter.com/bAZ6wRzct5
— MLB (@MLB) July 17, 2024
9:09 PM: Webb surrenders a game-tying single to pinch-hitter David Fry and we’ve got a brand-new ballgame. Impressive rally here for the American League after Ohtani’s moonshot opened the scoring. We might get a rare high-scoring All-Star Game, which is pretty fun. Hold onto your seats.
9:15 PM: Speaking of unexpected impact fantasy contributors, Fry is up there. The 28-year-old backstop has displayed vastly-improved plate skills this season and is on pace to get close to the 20-homer mark. That, in tandem with a batting average in the .280 range, is enough to make him a borderline top-15 fantasy backstop moving forward.
9:20 PM: Garrett Crochet, arguably the hottest name in trade rumors at the moment, navigates around a one-out single from Alec Bohm to work a scoreless fourth inning. He got a pretty strikeout of Teoscar Hernández in the frame as well. The 25-year-old left-hander, who has paired an astronomical 35 percent strikeout rate with a microscopic five percent walk rate, could be a difference-maker in the playoff race, depending on where he winds up in a few weeks.
9:22 PM: Just a friendly reminder that the All-Star Game tiebreaker is a Home Run Derby. Just saying. We’re knotted at three runs apiece going into the bottom of the fourth inning. It’ll be Japanese sensation Shota Imanaga coming on to take the ball.
9:30 PM: Imanaga retires Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a nifty play at the keystone, fans Adley Rutschman and gets Marcus Semien to line out in an impressive frame. The 30-year-old southpaw wasn’t viewed as a potential upper-echelon fantasy starter when he signed with the Cubs back in the offseason, but he’s been phenomenal in his Chicago debut. He’s a borderline top-20 fantasy starter heading into the second half.
Mason Miller strikes out Shohei Ohtani! 🔥 #AllStarGame pic.twitter.com/IjMAngWReE
— MLB (@MLB) July 17, 2024
9:37 PM: Athletics stopper Mason Miller with an eye-popping strikeout of Shohei Ohtani on a nasty 89 mph slider on the heels of a 101.8 mph fastball. He fans Trea Turner to cap off a perfect frame, which also included a 103.6 mph fastball, the fastest pitch in All-Star Game history in the Statcast era. You’re looking at arguably the best closer in baseball right now. The hard-throwing 25-year-old righty talked earlier this week about potentially returning to the starting rotation in the future, which would be a pretty significant development for his fantasy appeal.
9:43 PM: Corey Seager has always had a knack for coming through in big moments. He nearly put the American League ahead with a towering fly ball to center field off Reds ace Hunter Greene that was caught on the warning track. We’re still tied 3-3 in the fifth inning.
Jarren Duran homers to make it 5 unanswered runs for the AL squad! #AllStarGame pic.twitter.com/jRiI8d8EfE
— MLB (@MLB) July 17, 2024
9:45 PM: It’s Jarren Duran who puts the American League ahead with a colossal 413-foot big fly to right field. The 27-year-old outfielder’s metamorphosis into an upper-echelon fantasy contributor, tallying 47 extra-base hits, including 10 home runs, and 22 stolen bases through 95 games, has been a big reason why the Red Sox find themselves in the playoff race coming out of the All-Star break.
9:57 PM: Cole Ragans comes on to make his first appearance in Globe Life Field since being traded to Kansas City last year in exchange for Aroldis Chapman. He gets Bryce Harper to fly out to the warning track in left-center field before a challenge results in an inning-ending double play off the bat of Freddie Freeman. The 26-year-old lefty has pretty much lived up to fantasy managers’ lofty expectations following last year’s late-season breakthrough.
10:02 PM: Bit of a scary moment as Josh Naylor’s left ankle was stepped on inadvertently by Freeman on that inning-ending double play. He appears to be okay, but that certainly looked painful. Fortunately, it wasn’t the same ankle that he fractured a couple years ago during that scary on-field collision. He’s staying in the game for now.
10:05 PM: Phillies emerging star Cristopher Sánchez gets two outs on two pitches before Braves closer Reynaldo López comes on to strike out Salvador Perez for the final out. We’re through six frames with the American League leading 5-3.
10:09 PM: Elly De La Cruz comes off the bench for his Midsummer Classic debut and gets on-base with a leadoff single to center field off Royals starter Seth Lugo. He’s probably going to be on the move here.
First All-Star at-bat, first All-Star hit for Elly! ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/DcSIMCOd9S
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 17, 2024
10:14 PM: Lugo strands the tying runs on-base by coaxing an inning-ending grounder from Braves catalyst Marcell Ozuna to keep the junior circuit ahead and just six outs away from a win.
10:20 PM: Padres closer Robert Suarez dials it up to triple-digits to strike out Jordan Westburg and Riley Greene in his All-Star debut before handing the ball to Matt Strahm.
10:29 PM: Rangers stopper Kirby Yates turns in a scoreless eighth inning that includes strikeouts of CJ Abrams and Heliot Ramos, respectively, to put the American League just three outs away from ending it. Barring something miraculous, it’s probably going to be Jarren Duran taking home MVP honors.
10:41 PM: Emmanuel Clase comes on to protect a two-run lead in the ninth inning for the American League. It’ll be Pete Alonso, Elly De La Cruz and Jackson Merrill coming up for the National League. Here we go.
10:48 PM: It’s over. Clase struck out Pete Alonso to open the frame before retiring Elly De La Cruz on a grounder to second base. Padres rookie Jackson Merrill managed to get on-base with an infield single before he struck out Bryan Reynolds to slam the door. With the victory, the American League has won 10 of the last 11 meetings.
10:49 PM: American League 5, National League 3
10:50 PM: Thank you to everyone for following along throughout Rotoworld’s coverage of the MLB All-Star Game. Best of luck to all of the fantasy managers out there in the second half. Let’s do this again next year.